Young rugby players put through paces by England international at Leamington club

England international and Wasps player Brad Shields gave a coaching session to players at Old Leamingtonians

Brad Shields, who recently signed for Wasps, was at Old Leamingtonians RFC to give around 100 young players tips and advice on how to improve their game.

He was joined by fellow Wasps players Michael Le Bourgeois and Joe Atkinson.

Brad said: “I love being out in the community with the youngsters and hope to do a lot of this while I’m here at Wasps.

“I was one of those young kids a few years ago and it puts a massive smile on their face when they can see and play with some of their idols.

“Fans are a big part of the game and if we can keep a community feel like this, bring more fans through, it goes a long way to securing the future of the game.

“I’m living in Leamington now and I think the style of play at Wasps is perfect for me, so we’re getting the best of both worlds here and I’m looking forward to my journey with Wasps over the next few seasons.”

The session was an example of a 'Wasps Coachclass', designed for players of all abilities between the ages of six and 14.

Around 100 six to 14-year-olds took part

They give young rugby players a chance to enjoy learning core skills and develop their understanding of the sport.

Lucas Wager, mini and junior chairman at Old Leamingtonians, said: “This is the second Wasps Coachclass we have held here and we always find them to be very successful.

“We’re very fortunate to have a large mini and junior section here at the club, for them to meet players like Brad is inspiring and gives them great role models to look up to.”